RESIDENTS in Harting have until the end of next month to save the village’s minibus service.

Harting Parish Council owns two minibuses managed by the Harting Minibus Committee but because of changes to the way it works, the committee has resigned.

Now the council hopes to re-structure the scheme and recruit volunteers to run the service, thought to the first of its kind when it was launched 43 years ago.

Parish council chairman Andrew Shaxson said: “We have until the annual village meeting on April 28 to find a solution.

“It’s a tight time frame but I’m sure it can be done, and have no doubt it will be.”

But he admits if a way forward can’t be found, the service, which delivers 28 village children to school each day, will be suspended.

He added: “At the moment all options are open, and the service will run until the end of the school term in July.”

The leading solution at present is to run the buses through a volunteer-led Community Interest Company. Colin Waller was involved in the service launch in 1973, and for the past eight years he has been the committee’s treasurer until he resigned alongside all of his colleagues.

He said: “In 2014 the regulations changed, and are incompatible with the way it is run now. I step down on March 31, and the committee at the end of the school year on July 31.

“Most of us are close to 80, and younger people are needed to run it either through the favoured option, a Community Interest Company, or another way.”

About 50 residents attended a recent meeting to hear about the issue, and debate a solution.

Now a letter is being sent to every house in the village asking for volunteers.

Contact Cllr Shaxson on 01730 825254, or e-mail [email protected]